Latest News

REPORT: Late wickets boost Sussex at New Road

17-May-2012

Sussex kept Worcestershire at bay on Day Two of their LV=County Championship clash at New Road, as the visitors kept a lead of 84 going into the third day of the match.

Early morning rain at New Road didn’t affect the start time and shortly after 11.00am it was Steve Magoffin and James Anyon who picked up where they had left off the evening before, aggressive in their strokeplay and taking their partnership past 50 to accumulate useful runs at the end of the order for Sussex.

The first wicket of the day saw Anyon trying to work Gareth Andrew to leg but only gaining a huge top edge, which saw Richard Jones run in from fine leg to take a good catch, a similar dismissal to that of Ben Brown a day earlier. Monty Panesar was bowled shortly after by Jones to give him his third wicket and see Sussex left the field 315 all out, with Magoffin unbeaten at the other end who played nicely for his 41.

Sussex had to wait until the 18th over to make the breakthrough with the ball and on a chilly day to field, Anyon beat the hosts’ skipper Daryl Mitchell for pace as he was trapped lbw. Wickets didn’t come easily though and it was after luncheon interval when Magoffin tempted fellow Australian Michael Klinger into nudging one to Michael Yardy at slip.

Both Vikram Solanki and Moeen Ali looked comfortable at the crease for Worcestershire and were three shy of the half-century partnership when Panesar struck, with spin introduced to the match for the first time. Solanki looked to charge him but the ball almost yorked the former England man who departed for 34.

James Cameron showed authority by getting off the mark with a huge six from Panesar which disturbed the tiles on the roof of the New Road Stand but his downfall came when he prodded from the same bowler and Chris Nash took a sharp high chance at short leg.

Worcestershire went in for tea at 123 for 4 and in the opening over after the second interval, Anyon managed to find the edge three times of Moeen (twice) and Pardoe but no chance went to hand. Moeen reached his watchful half-century from 129 balls as a chilly evening session set in at New Road.

The pair played nicely and fell only four runs short of a century partnership when Naveed Arif Gondal made the breakthrough. Moeen looked to play through mid-wicket when he was rapped on the pads, departing for 85. Andrew, returning for his first Championship match of the season, joined the long list of lbw’s as Magoffin claimed his second wicket.

It was another later wicket from Gondal which really turned the day and perhaps the game in Sussex’s favour. Pardoe, who had played a watchful innings, edged behind to Brown and Worcestershire were reduced to 217 for 7, still 98 behind Sussex.

The hosts had nightwatchman Jack Shantry and Ben Scott at the crease at the end of the day’s play and closed on 231 for 7, 84 behind Sussex.